What is Mindreader about?
You can read the blurb here.
TL;DR A telepathic woman helps a guy solve a murder.
Where did you get the idea for Mindreader?
It occurred to me that I hadn’t written a story in first person since I was a kid. However, I wanted to put a twist on it, so I wondered if it was possible to write a story with a first person omniscient narrator. (It’s been done before, but it’s pretty unusual.) I quickly discarded that idea because I felt like it would be difficult to relate to a God-like main character. But what about a regular person with partial omniscience, like someone who could read minds? For weeks, that idea rolled around in the back of my head. Who was this person? How would telepathy would affect their life? I decided they could probably solve a murder pretty easily, and hey, that comes with its own genre! Once I knew it was a murder mystery, it wasn’t long before I figured out the main twists and the ending.
How much did the story change as you wrote it?
The characters changed a lot in the planning stages, but the mystery remained pretty consistent. In the beginning, the personalities of the two main characters – Erin and Henry – were basically swapped. Erin was going to be a charming TV psychic, trying to make a quick buck off her power, and Henry was going to be the nerdy scientist who figures out that her powers are not a trick. For whatever reason, I found it difficult to write this version of Erin, so I scrapped that idea. However, I did still want that basic character dynamic of ‘outgoing person and nerdy person’ for my two leads, so I made Erin a lot more introverted and gave Henry all the boisterous charm. This worked a lot better, and those are the versions you see in the final book.
What genre is Mindreader?
I would describe it as a speculative fiction murder mystery. It’s set in modern day Melbourne, and there are no fantastical elements other than the fact that Erin is telepathic, so it doesn’t fit neatly into fantasy or science fiction, as they are usually defined. Speculative fiction is an umbrella term that sums it up nicely. (On Goodreads, I list it as a fantasy for the sake of simplicity.)
What age category is Mindreader?
It’s written for adults, particularly people aged 18-35. It has some mature themes, mild swearing, non-gory violence and sexual references. The main characters are 28 and 26, for whatever that’s worth.
Who would enjoy Mindreader?
Anyone looking to read a murder mystery with a speculative fiction twist.
What’s with the picture of the blue stone?
It’s an Azurite stone, which the main character, Erin, keeps in her pocket at all times.
What was your favourite part of Mindreader to write?
There were a lot of fun ones, but if I had to pick a favourite, it would be the argument between Erin and Henry in Chapter 10. I love writing argument scenes, especially ones that have been simmering under the surface for a while and finally burst through.
How long did it take to write and publish Mindreader?
I answer that question in depth here.
How long is Mindreader?
It clocks in at about 88,000 words and the physical book is 260 pages.
How do I get a copy of Mindreader?
Paperback copies of my book can be bought here, here, or, if you live in the U.S., here.
Will there be a sequel?
Verbal Eyze Press, the publisher who released Mindreader, won’t be able to publish any sequels, since they only accept writers under the age of 22. (I was 22 when I submitted it, but I’m 25 now.) This means that I’d have to self-publish any Mindreader sequels I write, since it makes little sense for a traditional publisher to publish a sequel to a first book they don’t own the rights to. I don’t have any strong inclinations to jump into self-publishing, but I do have a few fun ideas for a sequel, so I can’t rule out the possibility. I ended Mindreader in a way that offers resolution while still leaving the door open for future storylines. It mostly depends on how many people like the first one and would be interested in a sequel.